How does your garden grow? The excessive rain and humidity are wreaking havoc on mine, and those mosquitoes make it almost impossible to stay outside. I’m not a fan of
Credit: Vicky LoBrutto
repellant, even the organic type; and let’s not forget those Japanese beetles which I just pick off and put in a jar of cooking oil.
We can’t control the rain, but some of my plants are thriving. The black-eyed Susan and echinacea seem happy. In fact, the echinacea are better this year than last. The black-eyed Susan decided to “jump” the stone walls and scattered themselves throughout the yard. Actually, that’s fine with me. They’re lovely and thriving in the humidity and rain. In previous years I went overboard planting bee balm which did great for a few years; however, this year there’s not a bee balm to be found. The milkweed hasn’t bloomed, ever. I was hoping to attract the monarch caterpillar. Alas, not this year.
Credit: Vicky LoBrutto
A number of years ago I planted hydrangeas after seeing beautiful specimens on Block Island. I even bought a lacecap on the island. There’s only two left – the oakleaf which hasn’t bloomed and the paniculata which blooms profusely. It’s one of my favorites because in the fall the petals turn a pale pink, and it makes great dry flower arrangements. It’s a favorite among our garden club members. Another favorite is gaillardia, or blanket flower. It’s drought resistant and looks a bit like a mini sunflower. The baptisia and meadow rue are recovering from the destruction of the spongy moth, but the roses still look bare. This year I planted three peonies in a raised bed on the south side of my house, and I’m hoping I get more blooms than the ones on the east side of the house. I’m not having any luck with hollyhocks. I’ve planted them over the years and suspect the penstemon are crowding them out. Speaking of penstemon – how come none of the planting labels mentioned that they spread? It’s a lovely late spring, early summer, flower, easy to grow. I recommend it but put it where it has room to spread. I always bring a few pots to sell at our spring plant sale.
Another flower I highly recommend is the perennial sweet pea. It loves the south side of my house, gently vines around a trellis, and has the sweetest scent. It also makes the cutest little posey perfect for an end table or nightstand.
I peeked out the window this morning and noticed one of the cosmos plants is about six feet high. Guess it likes all this moisture. The zinnias aren’t too happy. All this moisture is causing powdery mildew. Zinnias actually like more air circulation so they’ll get a separate space next year. I have to harvest some of the calendula so my granddaughters can make their “bath bombs” with the dried petals.
Credit: Vicky LoBrutto
The northern sea oats and aster should be blooming soon. I especially like the sea oats because of their bronze, coppery color in the fall. You can never go wrong with asters and marigolds. They are the work horses of the garden and seem to thrive in all conditions. A new plant to my garden is euphorbia, or spurge. I’ve read it was easy to grow and definitely has unusual blooms. Should be great in arrangements.
A quick glance to a garden I created from an old bathtub is a bit frustrating. I just noticed that the deer have eaten the hostas, again! Guess it’s time to give up on hostas. Mother Nature, you win.
Speaking of Mother Nature – grape growers will tell you it’s all about the terroir. My soil tested alkaline so I’ll be adding more compost next year. I also suggest you pay close attention to the phrase “the right plant for the right location.” We can’t control Mother Nature, but we can control where we plant. Read the labels. Does your plant require full sun, partial shade, or a mix? Next, test your soil. Is it alkaline or acidic? Rhododendrons, azaleas and hydrangeas prefer a slightly acidic soil. Lastly, don’t forget the compost.
Vicky LoBrutto is a member of the Pine Plains Garden Club and the town historian in Milan.